Newbie Q: Chisel Handles

Doing some window shopping for turning tools, I see that there are two vastly different sizes in the handles being sold. There are the handles that are about 12-14 inches (give or take). And then there are the ones that look more like martial arts weapons, maybe

22 inches long.

Are these just different preference styles? Or are they used in different types of work?

My shopping is being limited to the window sort. After the Christmas gift of the lathe, the Lathe Giver suggested that everyone might be happiest if I put off shopping until after my birthday in a few weeks. Is it *my* fault that I'm difficult to shop for?

Reply to
Drew Lawson
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Preference, mostly. The type of person who lays the tool on the rest doesn't need much of a handle length. The kind of person who leans the tool against it needs enough handle to reach his hip or some other portion of his body to rest the tool against. Body English is available to both.

The handle is what gives you mechanical advantage. If you have the fulcrum

1" from the tip of the tool and 16 from the hand, your advantage is 16:1. That's not for prying a lid off a can of paint, it's for moving 1/16" on the tip by moving 1" at the handle. Not likely you could do that at 1:1, because you just can't quite sense movements that small, much less repeat them with any great accuracy. At a half inch, or maybe more, you can.
Reply to
George

One demonstrator I saw was talking about handles.

For making cuts a distance away from the tool rest, such as inside of boxes and bowls, he liked a long handle. He said you should have 5 times as much chisel behind the tool rest as you did in front of it.

For spindle work and other stuff done close to the rest, he liked short handles, "so I can swing them past my belly"

Works for me.

Old Guy

t be denied

Reply to
Old Guy

For making cuts a distance away from the tool rest, such as inside of boxes and bowls, he liked a long handle. He said you should have 5 times as much chisel behind the tool rest as you did in front of it.

For spindle work and other stuff done close to the rest, he liked short handles, "so I can swing them past my belly"

Works for me.

Better way than "Texas Toothpicks," as I see it.

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Or where deeper, use.
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Close = Control. Works for everybody.

Reply to
George

It is the leverage thing, bigger and longer handle gives you more leverage. Along with that, bigger and longer cutting tools go on bigger and longer handles. You wouldn't put an 18 inch handle on a 1/4 inch gouge, but you could use one on a 5/8 inch gouge. Big and heavy tools feel more comfortable in my hands. robo hippy

Reply to
robo hippy

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